Well packer confining means



Aug. 22, 1961 .1. LYNES WELL PACKER CONFINING MEANS 5 Sheets-$heet 1Filed Feb. 24, 1958 INVENTOR:

JOHN LVNES FIG. 1

FIGJA FIG. 1B

m M m T A Aug. 22, 1961 J. LYNES WELL PACKER CONFINING MEANS 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1958 B IIIIIIw 1IIII FIG. 3

INVENTOR:

JOHN LYNES V law 2,- L

ATTORNEYS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. LYNES WELL PACKER CONFINING MEANS FIG. 6

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ATTORNEK? Aug. 22, 1961 J. LYNES WELL PACKER CONFINING MEANS 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 24, 1958 INVENTOR: JOHN LVNES W MzrA ATTORNEVS Aug. 22,. 1961 J. LYNES WELL PACKER CONFINING MEANS 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 24, 1958 INVENTOR:

JOHN LVNES mam & Lewis,

A TTORNEVS United States Patent 2,997,107 WELL PACKER CONFINING MEANSJohn Lynes, Albuquerque, N. Mex., assignor to Oil Recovery Corporation,Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed Feb. 24, 1958, Ser. No.717,066 Claims. (Cl. 166204) This invention relates to an improved wellpacker for oil and gas Wells. 4

Such devices are attached to the ends of drill strings or tubings andinclude one or more flexible packer members which are caused to expandinto contact with the walls of a well to seal off a selected portionthereof from any fluid present in .the Well. Thereupon, variousoperations are performed, such as taking test samples from thesealed-01f strata, or treating said strata by injection of fluids toenhance productivity.

Packer tools must be operated at great depths and are subjected toextreme conditions of very high pressures which may approximate manythousands of pounds per square inch in the case of deep wells wherethere exists the usual fluid column of thousands of feet above thepacker, the column consisting of water, oil or drilling mud.

The principal object of the invention is therefore to provide packermeans which will form an elfective seal in a well and is capable ofwithstanding the tremendous pressure differentials which occur by reasonof the seal during treating or twisting operations.

According to the invention, I provide a specially designed flexiblepacker element and, in combination with it, confining means in the formof a collapsible seat which in operative position prevents rupture ormovements of the packer element so that it is preserved in an efiectiveposition to provide the positive seal for which it is intended.

' Other objects of the invention are to provide packer devices which aresimply and surely operated from the surface, and which are designed toprevent damage to the well, as by becoming jammed therein. In thisrespect a packer tool is provided which is of small diameter but has aremarkably high ratio of expansion. I

Further objects of the invention will be described in connection withthe drawings, wherein the invention is described in connection with twotypes of packer tools of my invention, a tool with a single packerelement (FIGS. 1 and 2) and a dual packer tool (FIGS. 3-8.)

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevation, with parts in section, of a dry stem testingtool, employing a single packer, shown in collapsed condition, as itwould remain on lowering into a well;

FIG. 1A is a section taken on lies lA--1A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 1B is a perspective'detail of part of the nipple with flange andlug at approximately the location of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the tool of FIG. 1, in operative positionforming a seal in a well;

FIGS. 3-4 are elevations with parts in section, of the top and bottomsections of a two-packer tool in collapsed, or lowering-in position;

FIGS. 5-6 are similar views of the same tool in operative or expandedposition in a well, forming two seals therein;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged views of one of the packer elements of FIGS.3-6, showing details of its construction and of its collapsible seat orconfining means;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are enlarged sectional details of the collapsible packerseat in collapsed and in operative position, respectively; and a FIG. 11is an enlarged perspective detail of the collapsible seat per se, inoperative position.

The tool shown in FIGS. 12 incorporating my invention, is termed a drysteam testing tool, a type which employs a single packer. When thispacker is operated to form a seal, the tool is opened to withdraw afluid sample from formations beneath the packer.

This tool consists of a hollow telescopic body member composed of anupper head 20 carrying an internally threaded mandrel or connection 21,having an enlarged flange 22 at its lower extremity which is housed inthe lower hollow body member 23. Member 23 is slidably mounted onmandrel 21, and has an internal upper flange 24 abutting flange 22 inthe FIG. 1 lowering-in position, flange 22 thus supporting member 23.

Lower body member 23 carries teeth 25 'for engagement with the wellbottom, and testing ports 26 for the entry of a fluid sample when thetool is in the FIG. 2 operative position. Member 23 may be of variouslengths to suit the selected depth for testing, or may be formed inthreaded sections to locate the flexible packer at the desired distancefrom the well bottom.

The upper head member 20 has an internal recess carrying a sealing ring27 diagonally disposed therein, according to the invention disclosed inmy Patent 2,738,016, dated March 13, 1956.

The tool is supported from a pipe string, not shown,

which connects to nipple 28 rotatably carried internally of head member20. Nipple 28 has an annular supporting flange 29 which is seated in acircular slot 30, slot 30 being formed between head 20 and its upperscrew cap 80. Flange 29 is formed with a depending lug 81 rotatablewithin the confines of semicircular slot 82 formed in head 20 beneathslot 30. This construction is shown in detail in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Nipple28 is further provided with a port 31 located centrally of sealing ring27, the latter, as previously stated, being located diagonally in thetool. Due to this arrangement, as will be further described, when port31 is in the FIG. 1 position it is closed with respect to any fluidcontained in mandrel 21, and when it is in the FIG. 2 position, it isbelow the ring 27 and hence open to the interior of the tool beneathnipple 28. Nipple 28 is further provided with a closed lower tipextending into mandrel 21. Cap carries a sealing ring identified at 83.

l A spiral spring 32 with its upper end welded to nipple 28 and itslower end welded to cap 80, is stressed to hold nipple 28 in theposition shown in FIG. 1, with respect to the head 20. Lug 81 is thusthrust to the right, or in the position shown in FIG. 1A.

At the lower end of body 20 is threaded a collar 33 to the innerperiphery of which is firmly attached, as by vulcanizin-g, the upper endof a flexible packer member 35, further to be described in detail. Theconfining means, or collapsible seat 40, is carried around mandrel 21and separates packer 35 from body member 23. Seat 40 rests on the flange24 of member 23. Details of the seat 40 will be described below.

The general operation of the tool of FIGS. 1-2 will now be described. Inthe collapsed position, FIG. 1, the tool is lowered into the well withpacker 35 and seat 40 collapsed. Also by virtue of spring 32, port 31 isin the closed position to the right of seal 27. A small amount of wellfluid may enter the tool, as indicated by the flow arrow, FIG. 1, butmay not enter nipple 28. Nipple 28 and its supporting pipe thus remainin a dry state, ready to receive a fluid sample.

When the tool reaches the well bottom, as seen in FIG. 2, the member 23is immobilized from rotation by the engagement of teeth 25. Furtherlowering of the tool causes mandrel 21 to telescope into the body'member1 23, upon which the collapsible seat 40 will spring open into actual orapproximate contact with the well walls. Thereafter, the continuedlowering of mandrel 21 will telescope packer 35 causing it to expandlaterally into firm engagement with the well walls in the mannerdepicted in FIG. 2.

With packer 35 on set position, and connected, as above noted, to headby means of collar 33, no movement of head 20, vertically orrotationally, is possible. The tool is then in a condition for nipple 28to be rotated relative to head 20.

With the tool in this condition, a clockwise rotation of the drillstring at the surface will rotate nipple 28 relative to the rest of thetool, overcoming the action of spring 32 while applying torque theretoand moving port 31 to the left-hand position shown in FIG. 2, or beneaththe sealing ring 27, whereupon well fluid from below packer 35 mayenter, or be pumped into, nipple 28 via port 31, thence to the surface,as indicated by the flow arrow at the top of FIG. 2.

To deactivate the packer, the drill string is lifted. As this is done,teeth are disengaged, and the packer member and seat will collapse andreturn to the FIG. 1 position. In this position, spring 32 is once againable to exert its force and move the head 20 and the rest of the toolcounterclockwise relative to nipple 28, closing valve 31 by moving itabove sealing ring 27, likewise as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, anyfluid sample is effectively trapped in the nipple 28, and may be securedby drawing the tool from the well.

In FIGS. 3-6, the invention is shown in conjunction with a two packertype tool of my invention similar to that of my aforesaid Patent2,738,016, designed to seal off or straddle a formation at any selectedwell depth.

In these views, FIGS. 3 and 4 show the top and bottom of the tool incollapsed condition; FIGS. 5 and 6 the top and bottom of the tool inoperative condition.

In these views an inner supporting pipe 50, jointed at 51, FIGS. 4 and6, runs the length of the tool and supports each packer assembly byconnection to its upper housings 52-53. This connection is similar tothat described for FIGS. 1-2, including that of lugs 81a-81b axiallymovable in semi-circular slots 82a-82b, and of springs '32a-32bconnecting the housings 52-53 to the inner supporting pipe 50. Thespaced upper and lower packer members are identified at 35a and 35b.Other parts similar to those of FIGS. 1-2 have similar numerals with aor b designators.

The lower packer housings 54-55 are supported in spaced relationship tohousings 52-53 by the threadedly connected mandrels or connector pipes56 and 57. The upper ends of housings 54-55 are formed with chambersfunctioning as cylinders 58-59 and containing the sleevetype pistons60-61, the latter being activated through channels 62-63 leading fromcylinders 58-59 to the inner walls of housings 54-55, terminatingopposite pipe 50.

The upper ends of pistons 60-61 are flanged to provide supports for thecollapsible packer seats 40a-40b. The upper ends of packers 35a-35b areconnected to upper housings 52-53 by vulcanization to threaded supporting collars 33a-33b.

A main treating and testing port 65 is located in housing 54 with itsinner terminus facing pipe at a point opposite the terminus of channel62. Co-operating with these channels is a port 66 carried by pipe 50 anda sealing ring 67 in the wall of housing 54, disposed at an angletransversing that of ports 65, 66 and channel 62.

In lower housing 55, pipe 50 carries another port 68 opposite theterminus of channel 63, and sealing ring 67a is similarly locatedrespecting these. Housing does not open externally, as does housing 54.

The general operation of the multi-packer type tool thus described is asfollows: In the FIGS. 3-4 position the tool is in the collapsed, orlowering-in position with both packers 35a-35b and collars 40a-40bcollapsed or lying fiat against the tool structure. By virtue of thestress exerted by springs 3211-3212, as controlled by lugs 81a81b movingin channels 8241-8212, both packer assemblies are in a position relativeto pipe 50 where ports 66 and 68 are connected to channels 62-63 andcylinders 58-59.

When the tool is lowered to the selected bore hole position, pumpinginto pipe 50 from the surface will force fluid into the cylinders 58-59,causing pistons 60-61 to exert powerful compressive forces upwardly, inturn activating the collapsible seats 40a-40b, and packers 35a-35b intothe positions shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this position, the packerassemblies are rendered immovable, and by clockwise rotation of the pipe50, its port 66 is moved across sealing ring 67 into connection, withmain port 65, channel 62 at the same time being sealed off with itsfluid charge retained.

Simultaneously, the same rotation of pipe 50 will move port 68 acrosssealing ring 67a, leaving channel 63 and port 68 in sealed-offcondition, as shown in FIGS. 5-6. In this position, the tool has sealedoff the formation between packers 35a-35b, and a fluid-line connectionhas been formed to the formation through ports 65, 66 and pipe 50.

To deactivate the tool, pipe 50 is allowed to rotate back into the FIG.3-4 position by influence of springs 3201-321), whereupon the portsystem relieves the fiuid pressure in the cylinders 58-59. Pistons 60-61will then retract, packers 35a-35b and seats 4011-4011 will collapse.

The details of packer and collapsible seat construction will next bedescribed in further detail. In FIGS. 7-8, are details showing theseelements as enlarged and extracted from FIGS. 3 and 5, it beingunderstood that the construction would be substantially similar for thepacker tool of FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIGS. 7-8, the flexible packer element 35a is shown to be of themulti-ply split-sleeve construction of my Patent 2,738,013. The plies ofthis packer are of a suitable rubber compound or rubber substitute andits construction is extremely rugged, especially where as preferred, theplies are reinforced by cord or by fabric layers.

Nevertheless, due to the extreme pressures which arise in the fluidcolumn of a well, especially during treating or testing operations aftersetting of the packers, rupture or dislocation of the packer materialwould occur in the direction of thrust without special confining orseating means.

Such means, in the seat 40a illustrated, preferably consist in a seriesof seat links 70, having flat upper faces, peripherally hooked on theirinner ends to a ring 71, slidably mounted around mandrel 56 (or member21 FIGS. 1 and 2, as the case may be). The design of of these links isbest seen in FIGS. 9-11. Links 70 are tapered as much as possible so asto provide the flat, relatively uninterrupted seat-top seen in FIG. 11,yet have sufiicient clearance to assume the fiat collapsed position ofFIGS. 7 and 9. The length of each of links 70 is selected to conform tothe diameter of the drill hole, so that in the open position theysubstantially abut or narrowly clear the well walls. This measurementcan be determined in advance by calipering tests, where necessary. Thehooked inner ends of links 70 forming the hooks which loosely grip ring71, are designed to avoid any shearing action.

As seen in FIGS. 7-11, links 70 are tapered outwardly from ring 71 toprovide added strength near their extremities where the most pressurewill be exerted on them.

Adjacent the extremities of seat links 70, are formed bores to receivethe looped ends of the supporting arms, or rods 72, the lower ends ofwhich are looped around a lower supporting ring 73. These loopconnections likewise avoid any shearing action.

Ring 73 (as ring 71) is slidably mounted around mandrel 56, and thelower loops of rods 72 rest on the piston 60 (or member 23, FIGS. 1-2).A washer 74 (FIGS. 7-8) is provided to separate seat links 70 from theend of packer 35a and form a fiat surface to shield the movement oflinks 70 when activated.

The arms 72 are preferably at least twice the length of seat links 70 sothat the thrust exerted on arms 72 is substantially longitudinal.

To prevent the joints formed by links 70 and arms 72 from collapsinginwardly when in the FIG. 7 or FIG. 9 position, a stop-sleeve 75 isprovided to prevent these joints from moving inwardly past 180.Preferably this sleeve 75 is formed of soft rubber or the like which,while incapable of activating the packer seat 40a has suificientexpansion characteristics to fill the interior void formed when the seatis activated, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, to prevent ingress of materialwhich might otherwise jam the seat in open position.

From the foregoing, it will be realized that a packer is provided withconfining means which will positively open to provide a seatsubstantially disposed on a plane at right angles to the escape forcesexerted on the packer.

Under certain conditions, it may be desirable to similarly confine theupper ends of the packers by seat means of the type described. Tosubstitute collapsible seats such as 40a, for collars 33a would requiresimple modifications of structure obvious in nature.

What is claimed is:

1. In a well packer, a body member, suspending means for lowering saidbody member in a well, a compressible resilient packer member carried bysaid body member, means for forcing said packer member into sealingcontact with the walls of the well, and means confining at least one endsection of said packer member against rupture or dislocation, saidconfining means consisting of a collapsible seat disposed around saidbody member adjacent said end section of said packer member, said seatbeing composed of a plurality of seat links peripherally pivoted aroundsaid body member, said links being of a length selected to conform tothe diameter of the well bore when said links are opened to a positionsubstantially at right angles to the body member, each of said linkshaving a pivoted supporting arm extending away from the packer member,the extended ends of said supporting arms being pivotally connected tosaid means for forcing said packer member into sealing contact with thewalls of the well.

2. A well packer according to claim 1, wherein the seat links have flatsupporting faces confining the packer, said supporting faces increasingin width in the direction of the outer extremities of said links.

3. A well packer according to claim I, the space around said body memberdisposed inwardly of said seat links and said supporting arms containingmeans preventing the locking of the joints formed between said links andsaid arms.

4. A well packer according to claim 1, the space around said body memberdisposed inwardly of said seat links and said supporting arms beingsubstantially filled with an elastic substance preventing the locking ofthe joints formed between said seat links and said supporting arms andexpanding into said space as it enlarges upon actuation of said seat.

5. In a well packer, a body member, suspending means for lowering saidbody member in a well, a compressible resilient packer member carried bysaid body member, means for forcing said packer member into sealingcontact with the walls of the well, means confining at least one endsection of said packer member against rupture or dislocation, saidconfining means consisting of a collapsible seat disposed around saidbody member adjacent said end section of said packer member, said seatbeing composed of a plurality of seat links, the inner walls of whichare pivotally looped around a supporting ring, said ring being slidablydisposed around said body member, said links being of a length selectedto conform to the diameter of the Well bore when said links are openedto a position substantially at right angles to said body member, each ofsaid links near its extremity containing a hole forming a pivotconnection connecting to an elongated supporting arm, said arm extendingaway from said packer member, the extended ends of said supporting armsbeing pivotally looped to a second ring slidably enclosing said bodymember, said second ring being sup ported by said means for forcing saidpacker member into sealing contact with the walls of the Well.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,549,168 Townsend Aug. 11, 1925 2,229,325 Greene Jan. 21, 19412,490,350 Grable Dec. 6, 1949 2,738,016 Lynes Mar. 13. 1958

